Cellulosic casing with coating comprising cellulose ether, oil and water-insoluble alkylene oxide adduct of fatty acids

Abstract

Shirred tubular cellulosic food casing having a release coating comprising a water-insoluble ethoxylated glyceride coating on the internal surface thereof. The casing provides ease of peelability, ease of shirred stick deshirrability, as well as enhanced shirred stick coherency.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A tubular cellulosic casing having a coating over the internal surface thereof, said coating comprising at least three components, including a first component being a water-soluble cellulose ether, a second component being at least one water insoluble alkylene oxide adduct of fatty acids or fatty acid partial esters, and a third component being an oil selected from the group consisting of animal and vegetable oils, mineral oil and silicone oils, said first component of said coating being present in an amount of from about 0.005 mg/in 2  to about 0.07 mg/in 2  of internal casing surface, said second component being present in an amount of from about 0.005 to about 0.1 mg/in 2  of internal casing surface, and said third component being present in said coating in an amount of from about 0.001 to about 3 mg/in 2  of casing surface, said casing being suitable for stuffing with food products and being readily peelable from food products processed therein, wherein said adduct is selected from the group of adducts represented by the formulas:   R.sub.1 -C.sub.3 H.sub.6 O.sub.3 -R.sub.2, R.sub.1 (C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.n R.sub.3, ##STR1## and mixtures thereof, wherein R.sub.1 is a long chain fatty acid radical having 10 to 24 carbon atoms; and R.sub.2 is -(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.n H wherein n is an integer from 1 to 40, and wherein R.sub.3 is hydrogen or a long chain fatty acid radical having 10 to 24 carbon atoms.     
     
     
       2. The casing of claim 1 wherein said cellulose ether component of said coating is selected from the group consisting of methylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, carboxymethyl hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. 
     
     
       3. The casing of claim 1 wherein said adduct comprises a mixture of ethoxylated monoglycerides. 
     
     
       4. A tubular cellulosic casing having a coating over the internal surface thereof, said coating comprising at least three components, including a first component being a water-soluble cellulose ether, a second component being at least one water insoluble alkylene oxide adduct of fatty acids or fatty acid partial esters, and a third component being an oil selected from the group consisting of animal and vegetable oils, mineral oil and silicone oils, said first component of said coating being present in an amount of from about 0.005 mg/in 2  to about 0.07 mg/in 2  of internal casing surface, and said second component being present in an amount of from about 0.005 to about 0.1 mg/in 2  of internal casing surface, said third component being present in said coating in an amount of from about 0.001 to about 3 mg/in 2  of casing surface, said casing being suitable for stuffing with food products and being readily peelable from food products processed therein, wherein said adduct is represented by the formulas:   R.sub.1 -C.sub.3 H.sub.6 O.sub.3 -R.sub.2 or R.sub.1 (C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.n R.sub.3     wherein R 1  is a long chain fatty acid radical having 10 to 24 carbon atoms; and R 2  is -(C 2  H 4  O) n  H wherein n is an integer from 1 to 40, and wherein R 3  is hydrogen or a long chain fatty acid radical having 10 to 24 carbon atoms.   
     
     
       5. The casing of claim 1 wherein said water-soluble cellulose ether component of said coating is present in an amount of between about 0.025 and about 0.035 mg/in 2  of casing surface. 
     
     
       6. The casing of claim 1 wherein said second component of said coating is present in an amount of between about 0.005 mg/in 2  and about 0.027 mg/in 2  of casing surface. 
     
     
       7. The casing of claim 1 wherein said third component comprises mineral oil. 
     
     
       8. The casing of claim 1 wherein said third component is present in an amount of between about 0.001 mg/in 2  and about 0.5 mg/in 2 . 
     
     
       9. The casing of claim 1 having a coherency of at least about 2.5 inch-pounds in its shirred form. 
     
     
       10. The casing of claim 1 wherein said casing additionally contains a polyol.